Long Winter Nights
by lizandhenry
Summary: Just a little something based on the opening scene in "The Necessary Art".
1. Chapter 1

Long Winter Nights

Elizabeth was restless. She never could sleep as well when she was apart from Henry. It had been a stressful day to say the least. It didn't help that she already missed him terribly. She had to keep herself from taking one of her Xantax when Henry didn't answer the call on the secure line when he was out hunting with Ostrev.

When she finally did reach him and relayed Ostrev's message to Dalton she all but begged him to come home. She knew she was overreacting slightly, given she was still recovering from Iran. But he'd calmed her down on the phone and she tried to busy herself in work to keep her mind occupied.

As she lay in bed, she shivered; his warm touch beneath their blankets missing. The slight sound of his occasional snoring gone. She rolled to his side of the bed, snuggling against his pillow, breathing in his scent. It helped some, but sleep was still a million miles away. The clock on his nightstand read 12:17am.

She knew the time difference was 7-8 hours ahead in Moscow. Reaching for the phone, she called him seeing as he should be waking up about now.

There was no answer. Elizabeth frowned and set the phone on the nightstand. When she'd first given him the phone she had been secretly hoping for playful phone sex on his short trip abroad. They hadn't been intimate since Iran. But lately she'd been missing his touch and had begun flirting with him again. She thought it would be a fun way to get her confidence back up.

But now it was the furthest thing from her mind. She felt alone and cold with her thoughts that evening. She didn't realize that the trip would end up in her husband being used as in inside middle man to the war games Russia was playing. Her fear for Henry in those unknown moments when Gorev told her that they were out hunting had sent her back to Iran.

She found herself wanting to use the line just so no one could hear her break down other than him. She just needed to hear his soothing, deep voice; to almost feel his breath in her ear through the receiver to re-center her world. It was always off center when they were apart. But he didn't answer. So she squeezed his pillow tighter and re-played a silly voice mail he'd left her a few weeks ago to calm her racing heart.

**** Long Winter Nights ****

Henry was just finishing up his shower when he saw he had a missed call. Elizabeth.

He sighed, he felt terrible for missing her call. Mentally calculating what time it was he debated calling her back. She should have been asleep now. He decided to not call back, in case she had fallen asleep in the 20 minutes since her call, he didn't want to wake her.

He'd only been gone 2 days, but he missed her terribly. He felt bad leaving her, knowing she was still recovering from Iran. It was supposed to be an easy trip, a quick lecture and home. But with all that had happened with the submarine, it was anything but easy. He never even got to finish his lecture. He heard the fear in her voice when she'd asked him to come home. It was hard for her to ask, to admit she was scared. But this was part of her therapy, to admit it. And also to get back to their routine. Unfortunately, the occasional work trip was part of their routine. Luckily, he'd been able to calm her on the phone, assuring her he was okay and going to tour a church.

It had been worse when he'd gone to Boliva and she confessed she saw the knife to his neck on the video feed. He'd hoped she hadn't saw that part. They both hated that the President volunteered him to go so shortly after her PTSD incident that landed her in the hospital. But she somehow managed it. She'd confessed that she was pacing and fighting a panic attack in the sit room. But she was able to see him on the screen, and knew he was okay which helped. She trusted him and his abilities in those situations.

She'd even managed a trip herself; to Greece. He'd checked on her, and other than her usual complaints of missing him, she did okay. Which is why he knew she'd be okay with him on this trip. But he still missed her.

He quickly finished dressing and packing for his flight in a few hours. He then said he went to town to pick up a few souvenirs for the family. He saw the raccoon hat, and bought it, knowing it would make her laugh.

On his way to the airport, it was nearly 6:30am in DC, so he knew she'd be getting up for work and he called her.

"Hi." came her soft voice over the phone.

"Hey babe." he smiled. "I saw you called. I was in the shower, everything okay?"

She smiled, just happy to hear his voice. "Yea. I just...I just couldn't sleep. That's all."

He nodded, he could hear the disappointment. "I'm sorry babe."

"No don't be. It's just - I just miss you, that's all."

"I miss you too. But I'm almost to the airport. I'll be home before you know it."

"Good."

"Everything else okay?

"Yea. Stevie broke up with Arthur."

Henry didn't respond. He was thrilled to hear this, but sad his daughter might be sad too. He'd have two sad women on his hands when he got home.

"Henry?"

"I'm here. I. Wow. Is she okay?"

"She's…..she'll be fine. Give her a few days."

"Alright. Hey. How about when I get home we all go out to dinner?"

Elizabeth pondered it for a moment. "Yea, that'd be nice."

"Okay. I love you babe. See you soon."

"Love you too. Have a safe flight."

****Long Winter Nights*****

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her husband from behind, inhaling his scent as he closed the drawer on their dresser as he unpacked after their family dinner.

Henry reached for her hands, laying his over hers and unwrapping her arms so he could turn to face her. Her hands ran up his chest and linked around his neck as his arms wound around her waist as they met for a kiss.

She still flinched just slightly as he touched her scar. When the kiss broke she clung to him, resting her head on his chest. He smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around her back. "What's the matter babe?" he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

She pulled back just a bit to look at him, her eyes sad. "Nothing. I just missed you."

With a smile he pulled her back close and whispered, "Missed you too."

Nuzzling his neck, she planted a few kisses, the scent of his aftershave enthralled her senses. On tip toes she reached for his lips, brushing them with hers. He moaned slightly, nuzzling their noses together before capturing her lips in a slightly deeper kiss.

She inhaled a deep breath as he kissed her, releasing the air into his mouth, mingling with his breath. Her fingers caressed the back of his neck, fingering his hair while he skimmed her back over her soft red silk blouse.

He sensed something off, there was something more to it than missing him. He pulled back to look at her, her eyes sparking, maybe with a hint of unshed tears. He ran his finger down her face, cupping it. "What is it darlin'?"

"Nothing. I just missed you and I. I missed your touch. I need you close to me." she whispered, trying to convince him

He believed what she said was true. Truthfully he felt the same, but there was something else. "Missed you too sweetheart. But why the tears?" he asked gently.

She blinked them back. "I just. I was scared when you were out with Ostrev. I thought something bad might happen and I….I'm glad you're home." her voice waivered. "I thought I was doing better, you know with the trips...but."

"You are doing better." he interjected. "I'm sorry I scared you. But I'm back now."

She nodded and smiled through the tears, leaning up to kiss him. "Thank god." came her reply. She tried to deepen the kiss, running her tongue along the seam of his lips, willing them to open for her. He did, allowing their tongues to dance together gently.

During their kiss she had somehow undone all the buttons on his shirt and she ran her bare hands up his smooth chest, finding his nipples and teased them gently.

He tightened his grip on her, and she felt his hardness press against her belly. "Babe, are you sure?" he asked her gently, tilting her chin to look at him. Again, they hadn't been intimate since Iran. He'd wanted to many times and she had been becoming her old affection self lately, but he didn't want to push her.

She almost laughed at his kindness. He'd asked her that question four times in her life. Their first time, then their first time after she'd given birth to each of their children. Each time her answer was the same. "I'm sure." she whispered. "I need to be close to you."

It was the truth, she had been ready for a while now. But this was the right time. She needed him close to her. She needed to feel his touch, his kiss, his hands on her skin. She needed him deep inside her, for them to be as physically close as possible to relieve the ache from missing him in her heart.

Her response made it clear to him. He understood. She needed him to take care of her. He needed her too. He'd missed her just as much lately.

He kissed her a few moments more, while his hands tugged the ends of her blouse out of her skirt. She obediently lifted her arms and he pulled the material over her head and let it fall to the floor.

Next he unhooked her bra. As he slid the straps down her arms he noticed the fading pink marks on her arms. They were almost gone, but he noticed them and planted kisses to those areas.

He cupped her breasts for a brief moment before his hands went to her back again, caressing her soft skin as he pulled her into another deep kiss. His hands found his favorite spot on her lower back, and his fingers brushed over the raised scab where her stitches had been. She flinched slightly, her breath catching in his mouth. "It's alright sweetheart." he whispered to her, pulling away, continuing to touch the spot. "It's just me."

"I know." she whispered, and pushed his unbuttoned shirt from his strong shoulders. She pressed a few kisses there and her tongue went to work on his nipples, swirling around them, teasing. He didn't allow her to continue for long. It was supposed to be for her.

He nudged her back to his lips, he couldn't get enough of her kisses, and reached to unzip her skirt in the process. The black material pooled at her feet, and she stepped out of it, leaving her in only in her panties.

Stepping away from her, he went to the bed and pulled back the covers, motioning her to get in. She smiled coyly at him, removing her panties and seductively settling on the bed. He smiled as he watched then moved back to ensure the door was locked and the lights were off. On his way back to the bed, he lit a few candles they had scattered about the bedroom and a smile appeared on her swollen lips.

Finally, he shed his pants, revealing his hard length and climbed into bed beside her.

"Candles?" she asked they kissed, their bodies curling against one another as they lay on their sides.

"Something about tonight...I think you deserve a little romance." he whispered

"How do you always know exactly what I need?" she asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just love you baby, that's all."

"Love you too."

They kissed again, their bodies pressing against one another as she nudged him on top of her. He wasn't sure she'd be comfortable with that position, given her experience with Fred's weight on top of her in Iran.

He timidly obliged, not wanting her to be frightened and hovered over her, his arms supporting his weight. He leaned down, kissing her, but she arched into his kiss, wanting more contact. Keeping himself propped above her, he kissed and licked his way down her body. He paid ample attention to the hot spot behind her ear, making her shiver before moving down her neck and to the valley between her breasts. He latched onto her left nipple first, sucking gently until it hardened in his mouth and moved to the other to repeat the motion.

He left her breasts and gave kisses to her tight abs, feeling them twitch beneath his touch. His tongue swirled her belly button before moving back up her body, landing at her mouth. She pulled him down, wanting to feel him atop her. She wanted to feel his weight, she needed to be reminded of his body, not Fred's.

He gave in slightly, still supporting most of his weight on his forearms. "Please." she murmured, looking into his eyes.

He reached down, taking his hard member and rubbed it back and forth between her folds. She felt so hot and wet, he resisted the urge to pound into her. He continued the motion, teasing her clit each time he went back and forth before gently pushing himself inside her. He did it slowly, wanting to savor and draw out every ounce of pleasure from her body.

He gave her a moment to adjust and she wrapped her legs around his waist, securing his body against hers. Her feet pushed on his ass, drawing him deeper inside. He moved slowly, torturing her as he head tilted back in pleasure.

She reached for his shoulders, pulling him down. "Henry...come closer," she whispered, making it clear what she wanted.

She sensed he was nervous as he let his weight rest on her chest, heaving against his as he slowly continued to thrust. She met his movements, her eyes sparking. "I'm okay, Henry." she said, kissing him. "I want to feel you…."

He moaned into her kiss and pulled her in tight, his hands wrapping around her back, holding her flush against him

They both breathed heavily, their eyes lidded as they gazed at one another kissing occasionally. Their bodies moved slowly in unison, drawing out every bit of pleasure. Their closeness caused Henry to rub against her clit with every movement, driving her wild. But she held on, refusing to give in so quickly.

Her muscles clenched around him. It felt so good to be with her again, as close as the possibly could be. Ironically, the night was turning out very similar the night before she left for Iran. Their first round was fast and furious, but before she left he wanted her to feel how much he loved her. He wanted her close, every inch of their bodies touching. He held her much the same way he was now, staring into her beautiful eyes, conveying their love.

"I'm close…" she finally whispered, her eyes slipping shut, unable to last any longer.

He increased the pace just slightly, thrusting just a bit harder, his sweaty skin sliding easily against hers. "I've got you baby, let go." he whispered.

He covered her mouth with his in a searing kiss, stifling her cry as she came hard, her body shaking furiously beneath him. He held her tight as he rode out her waves of pleasure with her, feeling her convulsing around him. When she stilled, her limbs trembling he emptied inside her, and collapsed against her on the mattress - their hearts beating wildly in the same rhythm.

He pulled the sheet around them after she settled herself in his embrace, sharing soft kisses. Her skin was glistening in the candlelight. "You're stunning." he whispered to her, causing her cheeks to flush.

"Thank you." she whispered. He understood she was thanking him for more than just the compliment.

"You okay now sweetheart?"

She smiled. "Much better."

"Good."

"Henry?" she asked, her eyes staring up at him

"Yes?"

"Can we maybe skip the trips for a while? I think I just need to be close to you for a while."

"Of course." Anything she needed.

"And this doesn't make me a needy wife does it?" she asked, biting her lower lip

He laughed. "No. Don't be silly. You've been through a lot. Besides, even if you were, I'm more than happy to fulfill your needs." he winked.

She blushed. "God I love you."

"Love you more." he kissed her head softly. "Go to sleep babe, you're tired."

"I am exhausted." she admitted.

"Sleep. I won't let you go."

"Okay..." She took a deep breath and quickly fell asleep after a rough two days, securely wrapped in her husband's arms.

 _ **AN: Okay. So this one is for Adii1201 :) I've been thinking about this one for a while; but we bounce ideas back and forth a lot, and she keeps begging me for this one (thank you for that). It was initially supposed to be based on that initial scene in "The Necessary Art; " you know with the phone sex reference. But I struggled with writing phone sex, sooo it turned into this. So alas - hope I did it justice for you girl! I have a few more ideas for smut...if you guys REALLY want to read them :)**_


	2. Alternate Ending

Alternate Ending

 _ **AN: Okay, so I was missing some flirting in the previous part that we all LOVE from them. So I wrote this fluffy/flirty alternate ending.**_

He pulled the sheet around them after she settled herself in his embrace, sharing soft kisses. Her skin was glistening in the candlelight. "You're stunning." he whispered to her, causing her cheeks to flush.

"Thank you." she whispered. He understood she was thanking him for more than just the compliment.

"You okay now sweetheart?"

She smiled. "Much better."

"Good."

"Henry?" she asked, her eyes staring up at him

"Yes?"

"Can we maybe skip the trips for a while? I think I just need to be close to you for a while."

"Of course." Anything she needed.

"And this doesn't make me a needy wife does it?" she asked, biting her lower lip

He laughed. "No. Don't be silly. You've been through a lot. Besides, even if you were, I'm more than happy to fulfill your needs." he winked.

She blushed. "God I love you."

"Love you more." he kissed her head softly.

She sighed contently as they lay together, just enjoying the closeness of one another. "So how was the rest of the trip? I'm guessing you enjoyed the church visit?" she asked him, curious how everything went, missing their nightly catch up.

"Yea. The church was beautiful. You would have loved it."

She raised an eyebrow. Churches were not her favorite sightseeing destination, but she always went when he wanted to on vacations.

"You know when I was talking to Ostrev about the deal Dalton proposed, we had a great conversation about our grandfathers and the war. It made me hopeful, that we can continue to work together…."

She looked up at him, Henry always saw the good in people. Much like she did. "You know Russell actually took my side yesterday. He defended you, and together he and I saved the day - through you of course."

"Glad I could help" he tickled her ribs. "And I'm glad Russell was being nice to you. It's about time he realized you're always right."

She smirked. "You're biased."

"Doesn't make it untrue. Hey, I almost forgot. I brought you something back from Russia." he said, pushing her off him for a moment.

He rose from bed and slid on his boxers, tossing her one of her slips. She put it on while he rummaged in his suitcase. As she put it on she muttered, "Guess you're not up for round two."

"I can work around that slip." he reminded. "Play nice, or you don't get your gift."

"Please don't tell me it's one of those stupid hats."

Henry laughed. "I almost bought you one, but I decided there was something you'd like more."He returned to bed holding gold box of truffles. "Chocolate."

He settled back in bed with her in his arms, laying the box on his chest. He picked one from the wrapper and fed it to her. "Mmph. This is delicious. Way better than a hat."

"I thought you'd like it. Anything else happen today?" he asked, wanting to hear more about Russell's sudden change of heart.

"Yea, I got the nicest compliment." she said, her mouthful of truffle.

"From?"

"Ezra. You know the one guy who has worked at the state department or 67 years. He retired so we did this speech and cake thing. He was the one who helped me figure out that the Russian sub was in distress. So afterwards we were talking, and I was asking him what he thought when the Berlin wall came down. I told him I felt naive for being hopeful. Then he said the nicest thing…..he said 'Nah, I've seen a lot of them come and go, I think you're the one for the job.'"

"That's really nice Babe."

"Yea."

"And accurate. You are great at this job." He kissed her, tasting the chocolate.

"Again, you're biased."

"Again my darling, this does not make it untrue."


End file.
